Explanations for attachment

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  • Explanations for attachment
    • Bowlby's monotropic theory
      • Adaptive: attachments formed in genetics via natural selection to ensure infants stayed with caregivers to increase chances of survial
      • Social releasers: species specific, innate attachment behaviour, such as crying (to get attention), smiling and vocalising (to maintain parental attention) and clinging and following to maintain proximity.
      • Critical period: attachment must occur before the age of 3 years to be able to ever form attachments.
      • Monotropy: there is an inbuilt tendency to make an attachment with one person, usually the mother.
      • Internal working model: the attachment with the primary caregiver (usually the mother) is the template for future relationships.
    • Classical conditioning (Dollard and Miller)
      • Food = unconditiond stimulus Pleasure = unconditiond response
      • Primary caregiver = neutral stimulus
      • The primary caregiver feeds the infant becomes associated with food.
      • Infant gains pleasure when with the primary caregiver
      • Primary caregiver = conditioned stimulus Pleasure = conditioned response
    • Operant conditioning (Dollard and Miller)
      • When a baby is hungry it becomes distressed
      • Feeding the baby will make it more comfortabl. Crying is learnt via negative reinforcement
      • Over time, the pleasure of being fed becomes associated with the caregiver
      • The baby has learnt to cry to get attention and feel pleasure around the primary caregiver

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